And The Lies Continue to Crumble
by Wings of Speed
Summary: It’s hard to tell the truth from the lies when you’re in so thick you can’t remember one from the other or what was a lie and what was truth. Vert discovers in a rather dramatic fashion that those he considered his closest relatives are in all actuality:
1. Chapter 1

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

An AcceleRacers Fanfiction

By: Wings of Speed

Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this once and once only: I am in no way associated with AcceleRacers or any of the characters there in. Trinity Wheeler and the rest of the Atomic Winds belong to moi and Kara Tezla and her crew belong to Kara Tezla. No profits of any sort are being made off of this story or its prequel. There, now that should make all the lawyer types happy!

Summary: It's hard to tell the truth from the lies when you're in so thick you can't remember one from the other or what was a lie and what was truth. Vert discovers in a rather dramatic fashion that those he considered his closest relatives are in all actuality: the enemy.

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

Chapter 1: The Basics of the Imperative

Serena Wheeler glared at the screen within Octainium, her steel blue eyes clashing with the beady rodent like eyes of Admiral Graymond. "Admiral," she sneered, her upper lip actually curling in an unruly fashion, "I believe that our mission has been compromised."

"And what brings on this assumption Corporal Wheeler?" the admiral retorted, his beady eyes actually narrowing in malcontent.

"Gee, I wonder if it would be the fact that I saw Trinity kissing one of the Teku members?" She responded, waving a hand in the air. "I really don't think that that was part of the plan or incorporated at any point in any part of the mission, now was it?"

A look of deep displeasure crossed the admiral's face.

"I didn't think so," Serena commented snidely. "Looks like our well laid plan is falling apart at the seams, now doesn't it?"

"Things will progress as planned," the admiral responded, the tone of his voice indicated that he believed completely that things would go as planned. This was just a minor set back that would soon enough resolve itself. This did not impede the plan in the slightest.

"How do you figure on that?" Serena asked, leaning closer to the screen with interest. "Whereas I have no problem with following my commands or meting out the destruction and mayhem that ensue, Trinity will follow her heart and if she's developed feelings for this Teku, she won't be so obliged to hurt him in any way." She leaned back in her seat, a smile of pure evil crossing her face. "Which also means she won't be so overly enthusiastic to hand Vert over to us either, she's going to go against everything she's been trained to do."

The admiral gave a knowing smile. "You're familiar with the conditioning of some of our agents, as well as the imperative?" There was a strange gleam in his eyes, something that actually caused a shiver of dread to run up Serena's spine.

Yes, she was familiar with the conditioning but not so much with the imperative. She'd heard horror stories about the conditioning. Heard stories about how some agents weren't able to cope with the atrocities that had been forced on them during the conditioning; she'd heard rumors about some of the deaths that had occurred from the intensity of the conditioning. She'd also heard about agents taking their own lives, not being able to deal with the physical degradation, the humiliation.

She'd long suspected that Trinity had been forced into the conditioning and wondered if Courtney had been forced to endure it as well. Serena shook her head, she highly doubted that Courtney had been forced into the conditioning; her cousin wasn't as valuable to the Silencerz as Trinity and Serena. She had never understood why though, they all shared the Wheeler genes. There was just something about Courtney that didn't make her as important to the Silencerz as the other two Wheeler relatives.

"What of it?" she finally asked.

The strange gleam hadn't left the admiral's eyes, in fact it seemed to have developed into something purely evil, like the look in a lion's eyes just before it pounced on it's intended prey. "Are you familiar with what makes up the conditioning?" He grinned then, his teeth gleaming in the bright light of his office, giving the aging admiral a rather vampiric look. "Are you familiar with how we condition those agents that prove to be difficult, just as Trinity so often proved to be?"

"I've…heard stories," she answered.

"I'm sure you have," he chuckled. "Let me give you some details," he paused as he pulled a folder from somewhere out of view. He opened the folder and sifted through a few of the pages held within. "Ah, here we go. This is taken from the details of your sister's conditioning."

Serena gulped as she suddenly felt bile rising in her throat. She wasn't so sure if she really wanted to hear about what Trinity had been forced to endure. She vividly recalled some of the stories she had heard, some of the stories of severe physical abuse…whippings…beatings with drilled wooden planks.

"You'll recall Trinity's old boyfriend…now what was his name?" the admiral chuckled as he glanced down at the papers in his hands.

"Rocky," Serena supplied.

"Yes, Rocky Santos. If I recall correctly he died when his truck went over a cliff." The admiral met her eyes then. "An unfortunate _accident_," the rodent chuckled. "Trinity was deciding to assert her individualism at the time and we needed to make certain she understood that such behavior would not be tolerated. It was an unfortunate act of fate that his steering went out just as he was coming up on that turn, and unfortunate act indeed."

"It wasn't an accident?" Serena asked softly. She had always assumed it had been a pure accident, that there had been no meddling involved. She had to wonder if Trinity knew the truth behind the whole thing. She had to if it was part of her conditioning; which also meant she was living with the guilt of knowing that Rocky's death was all her fault.

The admiral cleared his throat, "Should I go on?" he asked but didn't give her the chance to answer. "In another incident she was stripped of all her cloths save for her undergarments and endured two hours of whipping, with a nice little leather horse whip. I'm sure you've seen the type that was used." There was humor in his voice, as if he was enjoying this all immensely. He perused over the documents before him, his eyes landing on something else that brought a slight chuckle to his lips. "This was probably the grandest of all," he paused as he met her eyes, the mirth apparent in his beady rodent like eyes. "We fed images directly into her brain, for all purposes she believed what she was seeing to be real. She then had to choose between you and Courtney. One of you would die, the other would live. She held the gun in her very own hands and had to decide which of you she would kill and which she would save. Do you know who she chose?"

Serena just stared at him; she couldn't believe what she was hearing! She may have had her differences and skirmishes with her sister, but she'd never wish anything like this on her.

"Well, do you?" he asked again.

Serena shook her head, she really hadn't a clue. How could they have forced Trinity to choose between her sister and cousin? How could they have forced her to make such a decision?

The admiral chuckled, "Well, it really doesn't matter. That's not important. What is important is the fact that she's a conditioned agent and once her mind decides to go against her orders the imperative will take over. She'll have no control over her actions and will eventually complete her mission. In the end, she'll deliver Vert to us just as planned and there won't be a thing she can do to stop it."

Serena stared at him dumbfounded. "The imperative?" she said softly. She really didn't have a clue what it was, she'd heard bits and pieces here and there about it, but she'd never had to go through the conditioning so therefore the imperative had never been instilled in her.

Admiral Graymond chuckled again. "Yes, the imperative."

She stared blankly at him.

"The imperative," he said, his voice condescending as if he were talking to a mere child instead of one of his agents. "The imperative is a pych manipulator, it shuts down portions of the brain that inhibit the completion of the mission. It takes over full control of the brain and sensory systems and the person becomes the perfect little Silencerz Agent, listening to every and all commands and performs every task with 100 efficiency. We have total and complete control over the person until the mission is completed, then the imperative shuts down until it is needed once more.

"If Trinity is in danger of not completing her mission or becoming compromised, the imperative will assert itself and make certain that she completes her mission with 100 compliance. She will destroy everything and anyone that gets in her way, including this Teku she may have taken a fancy to. She _will not_ fail us!"

_Well, there's the first chapter of _The Lies Continue to Crumble

_The Silencerz are painted in a very harsh light and one has to highly disagree with their actions when it comes to the training of their agents. The Silencerz boarder on the verge of being Satanic in my book, they're evil to the core with only their own needs and agendas on the tops of their minds. They don't care much for who they hurt in their rise to the top, even if that hurting includes the deaths of their own agents. It is after all, just another means to the end._

_The imperative is something sinister and many have lost their lives to this thing when it has decided to make its presence known. In the grip of the imperative, the agents' only focus is the completion of the mission and to hell with those that get in the way of the completion of the mission. But it is almost impossible to tell when an agent is in the grip of the imperative for they act no different, their mind just is not their own, but their personality and mannerisms remain the same._


	2. Pardon Me If I Don't Trust Her

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

An AcceleRacers Fanfiction

By: Wings of Speed

Disclaimer: Look in the first chapter, you'll find it there.

Summary: It's hard to tell the truth from the lies when you're in so thick you can't remember one from the other or what was originally a lie and what was originally the truth. Vert discovers in a rather dramatic fashion that those he considered his closest relatives are in all actuality: the enemy.

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

Chapter 2: Pardon Me If I Don't Trust Her!

It had been several days since Trinity had fallen unconscious and Lani had still not discovered a reason for the Atomic Winds leader to be in the catatonic state she was in. It was almost as if her brain had just decided to shut itself off and was showing no evidence of waking anytime soon. There were particular areas of her brain that were showing some signs of activity while others were completely dormant. It was something that had Lani completely baffled and she couldn't come up with a logical or even semi-logical reason for the catatonic state.

Between Vert, Courtney and Shirako, the leader of the Winds was never alone in the med-lab; there was always someone there with her. Always someone talking to her and filling her in on what was going on in the living world, even if she made no sign of hearing or acknowledging what was being said. She made no movement, not even a simple involuntary jerk or muscle spasm was ever seen.

The only thing that gave hope of there being life within the shell of the body was the occasional movement of eyes beneath closed lids.

Lani had been the first to witness the movements of Trinity's closed eyes, but just as quickly as they had started her eyes ceased their movements. Then the Atomic Winds leader was inert once more, no motion, no indications of life. Just an unearthly stillness.

A living body housing no soul, Courtney had whispered once she had heard about the microscopic movements of her cousin's eyes.

Now Courtney was moving through an empty hallway, her thoughts veering off in every known direction, but never focusing on any one particular thought. Her mind flitted from one thought to another, never staying in one place for longer than a couple of seconds. If she allowed any one thought to develop and grow, she feared what the outcome would be.

_The imperative… the conditioning._

She shook her head, not wanting either one of those thoughts to take root. To allow that to happen would surely mean the end. To allow thoughts of either the imperative or the conditioning would bring up scenarios that would ultimately end in tragedy…would end in someone's death and it most certainly would not be the Silencerz agent that either one was active in.

Courtney continued further up the deserted hallway, her mind still roaming from one thought to the next. It wasn't until she heard a soft voice further up the hall that she paused in her forward motion, her ears straining to hear the softly spoken voices ahead of her.

"I still don't trust her, haven't since I first met her," a soft voice was heard from within one of the rooms about two doorways up from where the Atomic Winds member was now standing.

"You think she's a spy?" another voice asked.

Courtney slowly walked further up the hallway, trying not to make a sound. She allowed all her training to take over, her feet never making a sound as they slowly swept across the floorboards beneath.

Silencerz agents were well trained in the art of stealth and surveillance and all her training was now being put to the test. Certainly she was eavesdropping, but it was for good intentions and it most certainly was not for the Silencerz. She wouldn't return to them, no how no way!

She wanted to know who was talking and who they were talking about. Gut suspicion indicated it was probably Trinity and the voices heard had been female and besides herself, Trinity and Leti, Karma and Kara were the only other females. Besides Lani, who was probably in the med-lab at the moment.

She slipped further down the hallway, suddenly darting to the wall, her back flush against it as she silently moved closer to the closed door.

"She's something," the first voice answered. Courtney identified it as being Karma. "I'm just not sure what. It just strikes me as being to much of a coincidence with Vert running into her and the rest of the Atomic Winds the way he did, especially out in the middle of nowhere."

"It wasn't really out in the middle of nowhere from what I hear. The Atomic Winds territory is southwestern Wyoming, where Vert just happened to find himself. Could it be that farfetched that he'd run into his cousins and their gang? In their home territory?" the second person asked. Courtney suspected this was Kara, but she wasn't to sure. She hadn't talked to the other girl enough to get a gist of her verbal nuances and such.

"Let's look at it this way," Kara said after a moment's pause. "When we originally met, it was pure coincidence that it was your cars that my gang and I stole. It was also pure coincidence that it was Alex and mine's uncle that you worked for. You see something weird in that whole scenario?"

There was a snort that could've only come from Karma. "You're just not getting it." She bit out. "Vert was inside of the Silencerz base and he managed to escape. The Silencerz had to have been following him, but no Silencerz car shows up until after he's met up with his cousins. Then, instead of trying to force him off the road, it goes after Trinity and they have an altercation that ends with her putting the Silencerz in a ditch." There was a pause. "Doesn't that strike you as being a little odd?"

"Maybe Trinity and this Silencerz had had a run in at some point in time?"

"I highly doubt it; she acted like she had no clue who was driving or that she'd ever seen the car before." Karma growled.

"Maybe they were driving a different vehicle at the time and the person recognized Trinity's car?"

"Then explain how the same car managed to show up here during your and Trinity's race? Explain how it knew how to find us so quickly? It didn't really go after Trinity's car; it seemed dead set on taking you out."

"Not really," Kara interjected. "You weren't there; you didn't actually see what had happened." Kara paused, as if trying to gather her thoughts and trying to remember precisely what _had_ happened that day. "That car seemed to solely be after Trinity, it bumped her a couple of times before finally putting her in the cliffside wall. Then it came after me, but I don't think I was its original target. I think it only came after me once I decided to play chicken with it…maybe if I hadn't it wouldn't have wrecked my car. Who's to tell in the end?"

"I don't know," Karma said, there were still pieces missing, things that didn't make sense or add up in the end. "It all just seems a little weird for me."

There were a few seconds of silence before a harsh laugh finally sounded followed quickly by Karma's voice, "You're just gonna have to pardon me if I don't trust her!"

Kara laughed slightly, "Don't worry about it, for some odd reason there's something I don't trust about her either."

"Maybe it's because she's Vert cousin and more than likely has his ear in most all things?" Karma suggested.

There was a rather unlady-like snort, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Karma laughed lightly, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe there's the fact that if she don't like you she'll make no qualms about letting Vert know? Then that could ruin your chances with him."

There was a huff of indignation, "Whoever said I was interested in Vert Wheeler in the first place?"

There was the sound of Karma chuckling, "I've got eyes Kara and those eyes see the way you two look at one another. Just because the two of you are blind to your own feelings don't mean the rest of us are."

Courtney silently shook her head and slowly began walking away from the room, she'd heard more than enough. It was very apparent now that neither Karma nor Kara trusted Trinity in the slightest. If news ever got out that they had once been Silencerz agents…it was something she really didn't want to think about.

"Maybe it would just be a lot easier to tell the truth," she said softly to herself, just before bumping into the solid form of someone blocking her path down the quiet hallway. She glanced up to look into a pair of dark eyes hidden behind lightly tinted blue shades.

"Shirako," she said softly as she smiled up at him. She wondered to herself if he had heard her softly murmured words.

Soon enough she had her answer.

"Easier to tell the truth about what?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes assessing the blush that quickly rose to her cheeks. He didn't miss the way she suddenly broke eye contact, her eyes suddenly looking at the floor beneath her feet.

_And there we have a short but completed chapter 2._

_Nothing much really happening in this chapter other than revealing the way certain characters feel towards other particular characters._

_Now, to thank those that were kind enough to review…_

_Kara: Yes, you've already told me what you think, on both the first and second chapters, but I added a couple of different lines to the second chapter that weren't in the original of the chapter that I sent you. Nothing major so you may not really notice the changes. But if you do happen to notice the changes, then you've got a very good eye for detail, lol. I also hope to see your next chapter out soon…and maybe some more interaction between Shirako and Trin as well as Kara and Vert…subtle hint there! I guarantee things will start heating up between your beloved characters soon enough…but you basically already know everything that is to unfold._

_ZachCoggin: You've read all of 'The Truth That Lies Beyond the Lies' and never reviewed! Well, I can't complain too much, you're reviewing now and that's what matters. I'll take all the reviews I can get…I'm greedy, lol. I'm just glad you liked the story enough to take a look at its sequel. Hopefully you'll enjoy this one too; I'm certainly enjoying writing it._

_Firedragon: Have got to say I like your name. Glad you liked the sequel and hopefully you'll continue to like the following chapters. Thanks for the review; each and every review means a lot to me._

_Dark672: Glad to know you're still on board. And it's good to know that this piece was excellent. Even though your reviews are short they mean a lot to me. Plus I get a kick out of it when you put a bit of humor in them._

_Moriko: Yes, the Silencerz are a very determined little bunch of…well…I could think of a lot of words to describe them, lol. And yes, they are very evil…as for being brainless, oh God how I wish they were! I wish they were a bunch of mindless idiots that didn't have a clue what they were doing, but then if that was the case they wouldn't have all that wonderful technology that just lands Trinity and Courtney in all worlds of trouble. Hopefully you continue to like the sequel as much as the original. _

_KawaiiYamato: Don't worry about it, for some odd reason my computer enjoys doing the same thing to me as well. I could never understand why it would tell me I'd already reviewed when I damn well knew I hadn't! Tech maybe fun, but it's also a major pain in the arse at times. Ah yes…Serena…she is very evil. It seems that Trin and Sere are extreme twins: one's evil while the other is good. Coffee is good…as long as it's loaded with sugar and creamer. And I mean lots of sugar! The more sugar, the better!_


	3. Arrival of Reflex and Thunder

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

An AcceleRacers Fanfiction

By: Wings of Speed

Disclaimer: Look in the first chapter, you'll find it there.

Summary: It's hard to tell the truth from the lies when you're in so thick you can't remember one from the other or what was originally a lie and what was originally the truth. Vert discovers in a rather dramatic fashion that those he considered his closest relatives are in all actuality: the enemy.

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

Chapter 3: The Arrival of Bass Reflex and Livid Thunder

Courtney returned her eyes to stare up at Shirako and slowly drew her bottom lip into her mouth, her teeth nervously chewing on the tender skin. How was she to answer his question? How was she to answer it without revealing things that shouldn't be revealed at this time? To give him a truthful answer would reveal both her and Trinity's involvement with the Silencerz and she wasn't sure if he and the rest of his friends and teammates would be able to handle that truth at the moment.

Not with the collision that had taken both Trinity and Kara's cars out still so fresh within everyone's minds. A Silencerz vehicle had played a part in that crash and she still didn't understand why. She had a couple of ideas and theories, but that's all they were at the moment. Nothing conclusive that would give answers to the whys of the Silencerz involvement in that crash; nothing that would give her solid leads as to why the Silencerz were here and weren't trying to take their wayward agents back.

That thought brought up the question of the small device that Trinity had removed from Bass Assault before she left to look for a new car. Courtney was pretty sure that the small device had been a tracker, and if that was the case then Trinity truly being AWOL from the Silencerz was also up for debate.

There were too many questions and not enough answers to suit her purposes at the moment. Somehow, someway she would get the answers she was seeking. She just wasn't sure how at the moment. And until she had the truth of the matter there was no way she could divulge the truth to Shirako, doing so could put his life in danger as well.

She tried to give Shirako a forced smile, but it didn't reach her eyes and she watched in dawning horror as his eyes narrowed. He moved slightly, so that his larger frame was completely blocking any attempts she might make at moving around him and seeking escape.

"Easier to tell the truth about what?" he asked again, this time there was something in his voice. Something she wasn't sure about, but it was something that set an inkling of dread pounding in her heart.

Instincts told her that this man was not someone who liked being lied to, and that's exactly what she and Trinity were doing. They were lying to all of them, keeping secrets that could disrupt a lot of people's lives. They were keeping secrets concerning the Silencerz.

Courtney shook her head and hoped that her voice didn't waver when she spoke, "It's nothing," she lied, her eyes once more finding the floor, refusing to meet him head on. "I was just thinking to myself, that's all. Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

She felt like mentally kicking herself, wouldn't it be so much easier to tell him the truth, it was possible after all that the Teku and Maniacs could help her and Trinity out. Help them hide from the Silencerz. She mentally laughed at herself, that idea in and of itself was ludicrous. One could not hide from the Silencerz; if they wanted to find you, they would. One way or the other they would find you in the end.

Besides, she wasn't really sure that her cousin wanted to hide from the Silencerz. Was Trinity setting everyone up for a fall, including her own cousins? Was she still working for the Silencerz, all the talk of leaving the organization just a bunch of bull to put Courtney at ease?

Was Trinity even at this moment sending vital information concerning the Teku and Maniacs to the Silencerz? Did the Silencerz already know the location of Tezla's new base? That question was redundant, Courtney decided. It was apparent that the Silencerz at least had a clue as to where Tezla had made his new base, how else would Octainium have known where to find them at in the first place?

"Courtney," Shirako said, snapping her out of her thoughts, her blue eyes immediately meeting his only to turn once more to the floor below. He lifted one of his hands, two of his fingers lifting her chin up so that she was forced to meet his eyes. "There's something bothering you, that's pretty clear. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

She felt torn between indecision. On one hand she wanted to tell him, wanted to sing like a canary and unload everything on somebody, anybody. But on the other hand there was the fact that the Silencerz had taken out one of his friends as well as Trinity. She knew from the soft whispers heard from the others, when they thought she couldn't hear, that they didn't trust the Silencerz as far as they could throw their cars. Wasn't it a logical conclusion that they'd also hate Trinity and herself if they found out that they drove for the Silencerz? That they worked for the enemy?

"Hey, there's a truck coming up the road." Kara said as she passed by both Shirako and Courtney. She gave Courtney a strange look, almost as if she were wondering if the other girl had heard her and Karma's earlier discussion. She didn't say anything though as she continued down the hallway, paying no further attention to the Teku and Atomic Winds members.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The tow-back pulled up in front of the manor and it took only moments before there were several people standing beside the large vehicle, all eyes taking in the smaller car that was perched rather elegantly on the larger vehicle's back. It was a Lancer, much like its predecessor but instead of being two toned blue, this Lancer was a pure silver-white. There were blue and orange lines running along the sides of the car, much like radio waves. Beneath the radio waves were the words 'Bass Reflex' done in a strange color combination of molten silver and techno purple.

The windows were tinted a deep metallic orange and rods were apparent beneath the undercarriage, the underglo neon. There were about a dozen of the tubes, ranging from orange to blue and at night, when they were turned on they would illuminate the ground in a pyrotechnic display of light.

The driver's door of the car carrier slowly opened and a man stepped down into the blinding light of the noonday sun. "There a Courtney Brehm around here somewhere?" the man questioned, his accent apparent. He was from the central states somewhere, considering where the Lancer was coming from one would have to assume from Wyoming.

Courtney stepped up from where she was standing next to Vert, "That would be me," she responded.

The man tipped the wide brimmed cowboy hat that sat on his head, "Got a letter for ya ma'am," he said as he shoved an envelope at her. "The gent that sent this here car said to make certain you received this as well."

She took the envelope from him and just looked down at it. It certainly was addressed to her, but she didn't have a clue who it was from or why it was sent to her. She couldn't image Moon sending her a letter. Since Bass Reflex was Trinity's car it would seem prudent that if he was going to send anything it would be to her.

"You gonna open it?" Vert asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

Courtney glanced up at him and nodded her head. She looked back down at the letter still held within her hands and debated whether or not she wanted to open it with others around. What if it were something from the Silencerz?

Throwing care to the winds she tore the end off of the envelope and took the small piece of notebook paper out that was within.

_Courtney,_

_I was told once that if something ever happened to one of your cars I was immediately to send the replacement. I know what you're first thought is going to be…Street Thunder doesn't have a replacement. You're wrong. All five of the Winds' cars have replacements, a secret that Trinity kept well guarded. Shortly after Bass Reflex arrives Street Thunder's replacement should be in the wings. You can thank Leti for letting me know about Street Thunder's untimely demise._

_Your new car has a name as well, Leti came up with it. She thought you would like it, if not you can take that up with her. Livid Thunder is a recreation of Street Thunder but isn't a Supra, Livid is a 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra with the same paint scheme as Street._

_Hope you enjoy and don't be letting Trinity drive this one…I don't have this one's replacement finished yet._

_Moon_

Courtney looked up from the letter, tears apparent in her eyes. She focused her uneven gaze on Bass Reflex as a smile crossed her lips. She wasn't car-less after all!

"Court?" she heard Vert's voice. "Everything ok?"

She looked up at him and impulsively threw her arms around him in a hug. That was not quite what he had been expecting and he stumbled back a couple of steps from her sudden weight being thrown at him. "Courtney?" he asked again, completely thrown off by her sudden behavior.

"Everything's fine," she said as she suddenly shoved the letter at him. "Street Thunder's being replaced! I've got a new car on its way!"

"Great," Vert said as he took the letter from her and quickly read over its contents. "Livid Thunder?" he questioned as his eyes sought out the one responsible for the new car's name. Leti wasn't to be seen. Apparently she hadn't come out with the rest of them when they'd come out to see who was coming up the manor's driveway.

"When's it going to arrive?" Nolo asked as he stepped up to the two cousins.

Courtney shook her head. Moon hadn't said, only that it would be in the wings.

As if on cue another fully loaded car carrier cumbersomely made its way up the long and winding driveway. On its back was a red and white car, a replica to a point of the wrecked Supra. But only to a point.

It still sported the rising phoenix on the sides with the flames erupting on the rear of the car. Livid Thunder was done in white lettering outlined in silver across the hood with Atomic Winds done in purple on the front windshield.

The phoenix appeared to almost be riding on billowing clouds that ran across the bottom of the car, disappearing just shy of the wheel wells. There was a spoiler perched atop the trunk, reminiscent of what the street racers called a ghost spoiler.

Courtney's eyes landed on the red dyed rag top. Her new car was a convertible! Syncing this car up with Reflex would prove to be something of interest, there wouldn't be anything limiting the sound waves. The audio wouldn't be bouncing around within the confines of the interior.

The tow-back carrying Livid Thunder pulled up along side of Reflex's transport, the engine to the large truck suddenly cut out and seconds later a woman in her late thirties literally vaulted from the cab of the truck. Courtney sucked in her breath as she caught the profile of the truck's driver.

She took a step back, her muscles instantly tightening as a quick breath was sucked into her lungs. Her body automatically assumed a defensive position as her eyes narrowed in aggravated anger.

A low growl emitted from Courtney's throat as her eyes clashed with those of the carrier's driver. Apparently the gates of hell had been thrown wide open and the devil herself had decided to make a personal appearance.

_Hmmm…another short chapter, but a nice cliffy if you ask me. The 'devil herself' won't be revealed for another two or so chapters, so you'll just have to wait patiently on that information…unless you're among the select few that have insight into this story, then you know exactly who she is. And those people know who they are._

_Now Chapter 4 is currently in the works and giving me trouble so it might be a little while until it's out. This chapter has been done for about a week or two, but I needed to get someone's specific input on it before I posted it. And I was being lazy and kept putting off sending it to her…plus work likes to interfere with my writing time and work has been hectic as of lately. Plus I'm about an inch or two from getting my arse fired so I'm being very careful of what and how I do things at the moment._

_Oh, and by the way, if anyone would like to check it out and since I noticed no one has done it, with the now open forums on this site, I opened one for the AcceleRacers. It's nothing special, just a place to discuss any story you feel like. Or anything else pertaining to the AcceleRacers._

_Now to the shout outs…_

_ZachCoggin: Thanks for the heads up on what the original review was supposed to look like. The site seems to hate me as well when it comes to reviews. It won't let me review at all now if I attempt to do a signed review, but if I do an unsigned one, it has no problems. Can't figure that one out in the least. Thanks for reviewing, I can understand the whole idea of not reviewing till you've read everything, I do that on occasions. Then there are times I'm just to lazy to review…or the times when the site just plainly doesn't want to let me review, after attempting two or three times I just give up._

_Dark672: Of course I know what you're going to say. The same as always, thanks again. It's greatly appreciated._

_Firedragon: Nope, Trinity's the only one who likes Shirako. Courtney's eyes will be wondering towards someone else sometime in the future. I knew who at one point, but I don't remember now. Thanks for the review!_

_KawaiiYamato: I honestly think that sugar and you should be kept apart. No offense taken so don't worry about it, lol. Indeed, neither Karma nor Kara are on the stupid side and they will have every right not to trust Trinity. Not with what she's going to pull in the future. Court's not a very good liar…never has been and probably never will be._

_Kara: Yes, I always know what you think. I've sent you two rather interesting little ficlets, but I'm not sure if you'll get them since the forums and I seem to be having issues so I'm not sure if it's giving you problems as well. I think you'll like _Of Beaches and Volleyball_, it will prove to be an interesting ficlet once it's completed. Hopefully you'll get your next update posted soon and get some more of your ficlets sent to me, I live for them! And I'll get chapter 4 to you just as soon as I complete it, but it's having issues with me at the moment, plus the other ideas keep flowing and seem to be taking precedence over everything else. But you have better get another chapter done of _The Art of Stealing Cars_, I want to see the story behind the little tidbits you sent to me!_

_Moriko: Nope, they don't trust her but they might want to be careful…cause she is gonna wake up and when she does, it ain't gonna be pretty. There's nothing like seeing a Silencerz agent in full control of the Imperative with nothing more than the completion of their mission on their mind. Woe be to those that get in their way! I'm so glad that you think that what I write is great…I have my own doubts once in a while but reviews like yours helps out greatly._


	4. Dangers of the Imperative

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

An AcceleRacers Fanfiction

By: Wings of Speed

Disclaimer: Look in the first chapter, you'll find it there.

Summary: It's hard to tell the truth from the lies when you're in so thick you can't remember one from the other or what was originally a lie and what was originally the truth. Vert discovers in a rather dramatic fashion that those he considered his closest relatives are in all actuality: the enemy.

Warning: This chapter may not be suitable for younger readers since there is mention and thoughts of murder. Some of the scenes may not be appropriate for those that do not like the mention of homicide or death scenes.

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

Chapter 4: The Dangers of the Imperative

_Agent Technetium, it is time to wake. The Conditioning has finished its modifications and the mission awaits its completion. Time is of the essence and the completion of this mission is crucial in the fulfillment of our great plans. You must wake, NOW!_

The disembodied voice echoed through her head, demanding to be heard and obeyed. It gave the impression that there would be grave consequences if its orders were not obeyed to the fullest.

She fought against the darkness that still attempted to wrap its velveteen arms around her, that still attempted to pull her back into the blackness that didn't want to let her go without a fight. The darkness that didn't want to relinquish its hold on her very easily. She fought her way through the gray mists that seemed to continue on for all eternity, giving the ethereal feel of never ending, being all consuming.

A groan escaped from her throat and muscles agonized at the sudden movement, having been dormant for what seemed like forever or more. Eyelids fluttered, but did not fully open, fearful of the light that was sure to greet them once they did finally open.

_It is time to wake Agent Technetium; you have a mission to complete._

She raised a hand, as if swatting at an unseen insect; trying in vain to swat at the voice that was sounding in her head. She only wanted it to go away, to let her alone so she could continue to sleep in peaceful oblivion. She only wanted peace at that moment, she didn't want to obey, but it seemed her mind and body had other plans in store for her.

Without her consciously realizing it, her mind sent an order to her eyes to open. They did just that and she squinted in annoyance at the bright light that suddenly greeted her. She tried in vain to close them again, but they refused to acknowledge her order and instead remained opened.

Nothing like having ones body revolt openly against oneself.

Then she suddenly felt her body jolt, muscles complaining at the sudden unwanted movement. Legs swung over the edge of the bed she was on and hands grasped the side of the mattress in a death grip, knuckles turning white with the pressure.

Her feet hit the floor with a dull thud, planting firmly on the hard ground beneath. She surveyed her surrounding with a practiced eye, long hours of training to notice every little detail ingrained in her brain, in her psyche. She was in a medical facility, but by the appearance of it she was quickly able to deduce that it was not one that belonged to the Silencerz. There were similarities, but differences as well.

She sifted through memories, trying to locate the one that would tell her exactly how she had ended up here in her current predicament. She was apparently in an enemy medical facility, but why she was there was not apparent as of yet.

She thought back through the past couple of days, replaying her mission and objectives. She remembered that she and Courtney had been ordered to follow Vert and recapture him. They had followed him for several hours before finally realizing that he was approaching the territory that belonged to the Atomic Winds, their own racing gang. It hadn't taken long then to arrange a meeting with their teammates and eventually 'run' into Vert along the way.

The days following were a blur. They had revealed to Vert about Serena's 'death'. Had even come with Vert to where he and the rest of those who worked for Peter Tezla were holed up at. Had even managed to infiltrate the ranks without much in the way of setbacks…other than her growing dislike of Karma Eiss and Tezla's own niece Kara. She didn't actually dislike Kara, there just seemed to be too much similar in the two of them…they were to much a like not to clash. Perhaps if she wasn't working for the Silencerz and Kara wasn't Tezla's niece, things would be different, but she was and she was and things weren't.

Then there was the 'destruction' of Bass Assault. And then the wreck that had destroyed Street Thunder…and Shirako...

That was why she was here. Her mission had been compromised because of the Teku raver. Her interest in him would make it difficult for her to complete what she was supposed to do.

The imperative had asserted itself.

Now there would be no chances of goof ups. No chances that Vert would be able to get away from her.

She surveyed her surroundings again, taking in every little detail. There was much here that was reminiscent of the Silencerz technology, a lot of it stolen from them.

She watched as a young woman entered the infirmary. Previous debriefings identified her as being Lani Tam, Tezla's assistant to a degree. Miss Tam turned her head to look in the direction of where Trinity was now sitting up on the bed at. A flash of surprise crossed Tezla's assistant's face, then she smiled warmly and approached Trinity.

"I see you're finally awake," Lani said warmly, the smile still plastered on her face.

Trinity's eyes briefly looked the other girl over, her mind assessing the possible threat from this one person. The girl barely even registered as being the barest of threats. A mental image flashed before Trinity's eyes. She saw Lani lying on the floor, her own blood soaking her cloths from a knife to the heart. It would be so easy and there was no one here to stop her from killing the other girl, no one to interfere.

"Are you ok Trinity?" Lani questioned.

Lani's voice broke Trinity from her thoughts and her blue eyes slowly refocused on the other girl, the mental image cataloged in her sub-conscious for further evaluation. "What was that?" Trinity asked, allowing a calm mask to eclipse her emotions and betraying no feelings to the other girl. It was never a good idea to allow the enemy to know your thoughts, no matter what they might be.

"I asked if you were ok, you seemed to kind of space out there for a moment and I was just wondering if you were ok. It was probably just a side effect of being out for the past day and a half and wrecking your cousin's car probably didn't help matters much."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Trinity agreed, there was no reason to alert any of these people to the change that had occurred, they wouldn't know a thing until it was to late to begin with. "I was just trying to figure out how I ended up here…the last thing I remember is coming around a turn, then nothing." She looked up at Lani, a look of confusion playing across her face. The one thing about Silencerz agents, they were masters of disguise and had mastered their emotions, calling on any emotion at whim.

Lani smiled down at Trinity, "You did a pretty good number on Courtney's car. It's totaled and sitting with your Lancer and Kara's Sunfire down in the garage bays. Shirako took a look at it earlier to see if any parts of it were salvageable but the explosion of the NOS tanks seems to have completely destroyed everything."

Trinity looked at her blankly, playing the part of someone that couldn't remember what had happened in the past two days when in truth she could almost give a detailed description of everything. "Street Thunder's totaled?"

"Yeah, you did a pretty good number on her. When Shirako found you, you'd wrapped the car around a telephone pole. I guess from what he's told us, it wasn't very pretty." Lani explained, telling Trinity things she already knew.

Another image of Lani lying on the floor in a pool of blood flooded her senses and Trinity had to physically grab hold of the bed sheets beneath her to keep from grabbing the nearest sharp object and stabbing the other girl with it. She had to mentally fight the imperative or she would end up killing Lani for no other reason than the fact that she was on an enemy team and was a hazard to the completion of the Silencerz objectives.

"Lani, it would be best if you let me alone right now," Trinity choked out in a voice that wanted to come out in a snarl. Apparently the Imperative and Conditioning weren't completely in control if she still had some control over her cognizant awareness. But did she have enough strength and willpower to fight it? Or would it take over completely and those she had come to care about pay the ultimate price for her weakness?

"What?" Lani asked, taking a step back from the other girl as her eyes opened wide in surprise. Trinity had sounded almost feral in her tone. By the look in her eyes she appeared to be waging an internal war, a battle she was apparently not winning.

"I said it would be best if you get out of here right now!" Trinity growled as her eyes came back up to meet those of Lani. Trinity's blue eyes were hard and so very, very cold. "Leave before I do something I'm bound to regret later." This was said with a snarl, her upper lip curling up like some predatory animal. She looked feral, wild…primal!

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the side of the bed even harder, "Go Lani!" she nearly howled, the pain and agitation adding a note of vexation to the Silencerz agent's voice. "Go! Now, run! I can't control it…" her voice trailed off as her eyes turned an even colder shade of blue, as cold as the most distant icebergs in the artic. "But if you'd like to see what I'm capable of, I'd be more than happy to comply."

What little emotions had been left on Trinity's face disappeared and a mask of indifference appeared in their place. Her eyes held no warmth and feelings of compassion seemed to be something this creature of darkness and hate was incapable of expressing. The only emotions that played readily on her face was the emotions of hate and anger…She looked capable of killing someone without feeling an ounce of regret for doing so.

Lani backed up slowly, her hands going up in a sign of submission, trying to appease the sudden savage beast that seemed to have been unleashed within Vert's cousin. Her eyes never left Trinity, fearing that to do so would give the beast the chance to pounce and attack. She had to wonder if Trinity had bumped her head hard enough to scatter her wits to the winds, 'cause it was certainly seeming that way at the moment.

But would such a bump on the head cause such a severe change in ones personality? It was something that Lani highly doubted, but something certainly had caused a change in this girl Vert called cousin.

She could never imagine anyone's eyes looking that cold and calculating. Looking that evil and restless as Trinity's now were. The girl looked like she'd have no qualms about literally biting someone's head off. She looked downright evil, sadistic even.

"That's a good little girl, just leave the big bad wolf alone and the wolf will let you alone," Trinity growled, her eyes watching every move Lani made, never once taking her eyes off of her. Indeed, she was like a cougar watching the elusive deer, waiting for just the perfect moment to strike. And strike she would, when the perfect opportunity presented itself.

Lani bolted from the medical facility, never looking back as she ran to find someone, anyone. She didn't know what was up with Trinity, but from what she knew of the girl from Vert, this behavior was not normal. Such mood changes are usually a good indication of a severe concussion, but such diabolical behavior? To go from someone who seems nice enough to someone so thoroughly evil sounding? It just couldn't be normal in any respect.

Trinity watched the frightened deer's flight, a sardonic smile playing at the edges of her lips. Now, there was one objective and one objective only and woe be to those that managed to get in her way. Death would rain on this day in blinding sheets of red if anyone tried to stop her from doing her duty.

She would fulfill her mission and see to it that Vert was delivered to those in command of the Silencerz. His fate was as much sealed as hers was at that moment, there would be no denying destiny now. No where to run or hide, no way to escape. Vert would be theirs by the end of the night and there would be no one to stop her from seeing to it.

Another image flooded her senses as she took her first step from the med-bed. Blood ran in waves and the cries of the dieing and wounded echoed in her ears. Faces flashed before her eyes, some pale in death while others were nearly unrecognizable from the blood splattered across their bodies. She saw Nolo, lying across the hood of his nearly completely constructed car. His eyes were locked in a death stare, blood trickling from a wound on his forehead as it also ran from the corners of his mouth.

She also saw Karma, a jagged gash running from stomach to chest, her lips frozen in a grimace of pain. Taro laid not far from the Teku's body, his hands outstretched toward her, as if he were trying to get to her before the last of his life faded from his body.

A truly evil grin spread across her face as she saw Pork Chop's body…his body looked like it had been tortured far worse than the others and apparently spasms had wracked him before death came to claim him. Red welts were visible on his neck, apparently where she had strangled him with something…then she saw the culprit. The wires of a headphone set…ones she had used to carry in Assault.

She threw her head back in laughter and it came out rather sadistic sounding, like something from a madman, which she truthfully had become. There was a gleam in her eyes, the gleam of someone who had gone insane and the smile that crossed her face matched it perfectly.

If she had her own way, no one would walk away from this large manor in one piece, let alone alive.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Lani ran through the hallways, not really paying attention to where she was running, just wanting to put as much distance between herself and Trinity. Something had snapped in the other girl and she was beyond convinced that Vert's cousin was now a danger to them. Was it wise to leave her alone in the med facility? Alone and unsupervised, to do as she pleased? Hack into their computer systems perhaps?

Lani shook her head, refusing to give into her thoughts, to dwell on what could happen and what might happen. She had to find Tezla, Vert…somebody, anybody! She had to alert someone to the tyrant that had just woken up…maybe if she found one of the Atomic Winds, they could shed some light on what was happening. Maybe they'd know what was going on with their leader, be able to tell her if this was something normal and if she'd snap out of given time to do so.

Or would she turn deadly? Turn on them and kill eventually if given the chance? It was hard to imagine someone like that being related to Vert…it just didn't seem possible. But what did they actually know about Vert and his family? Not a whole lot, then again, they really didn't know a lot about one another…didn't know what the family ties were like and whose parents were still alive. Didn't know who had siblings…other than Nolo and that was only because of the feud that had existed between the Teku leader and the Maniacs leader.

She came to an abrupt stop and found herself falling backwards, to land hard on her butt. She glanced up, then down and discovered herself looking at Leti, Shirako's cousin. The Asian girl was rubbing her head, apparently where they'd both butted heads. "Sorry," Lani said quickly as she scrambled to her feet.

She extended a hand and helped Leti to her feet. "Where are you to in such a hurry?" Leti asked, as she continued to rub the now forming red bump on her left temple.

"Trying to find Dr. Tezla or Vert. Anybody!" Lani answered, her voice rising with agitation and confusion and slight amount of fear. Adrenaline was still pumping through her system and causing her to shake violently. She crossed her arms before her, her hands clasping her biceps in a death grip.

"What's happened? You look like you've just seen a ghost or something."

"Trinity's awake," Lani answered, her voice breaking slightly. Well, she'd wanted to find one of the Winds and now here she had one.

"Um…ok…and why does that have you so worked up? Is she all right?"

"Yes…no…I don't know!" Lani nearly screamed in hysterics.

Leti raised an eyebrow in confusion. From what she understood about this girl from Shirako, she was usually pretty down to earth. She had her moments and such, but everyone did…right now she was coming across as being really hysterical though. "What do you mean you don't know? She's either ok or she's not. It's not a trick question after all, ya know."

Lani shook her head, bringing her hands up to her temples and rubbing the headache that was starting to form there. She didn't know how to explain what had happened. The look in Trinity's eyes had been downright scary, she shivered now just thinking about it. "She looked wild Leti…ready to kill. Her eyes were so cold, emotionless, like those of a predator. She looked like she wanted to eat me!"

Leti didn't know whether to laugh in the girl's face or try to comfort her. She seemed to be babbling in nonsense, almost seemed to be describing Serena instead of Trinity.

A frown crossed her features and her slanted almond shaped eyes took on a far away look. Her mind sifted back to about a year or so ago…to the time of Rocky's death and the emotional trauma that had clutched at her friend and leader at the time. At the time, Trinity seemed to have a death wish…she became wreckless and no matter what anyone said to her, she wouldn't snap out of it.

Then she had went a way for about a month or so…and when she came back, she was herself again, but not. She was different, almost withdrawn. Her heart was back where it was supposed to be, but her mind seemed to have slipped to somewhere else. She had changed and only those that were close to her had taken notice of the change. She was a little colder and became irritated when her commands were not obeyed to the tee.

She eventually snapped out of it, but it took a good four or five months until she did. Apparently she'd reverted back to that time with a vengeance. They would have to be careful until she decided to return to herself, she could snap…and no one, not even the Winds, had a clue what she was capable of when she did.

She smiled at Lani, trying to put the other girl at ease. "I'll go talk to her, see what's going on. You might want to find Courtney and let her now. She's usually the only one that can get through to Trin at times like these, she's the only one that Trin will usually even half-heartedly listen to." She paused as she remembered something else, "And if you can find Shirako…bring him as well."

With that said, she didn't wait for an answer, she instead turned on her heel and headed in the general direction of the med facility. Hopefully she'd walk out of there in one piece.

_Well, this chapter certainly took a turn for the worse, now didn't it? We get a look at the sadistic side of the Silencerz and what they are capable of when they're not controlling their own actions. This is just a taste of what is to come so expect more drama and dark altercations in the future as Trinity, Serena and the rest of the Silencerz close their trap around the one they most desperately want. Woe be to those that just happen to get in their way._

_Shout outs…_

_Firedragon: Moon would be the guy who works on the Winds cars as well as keeping their backup cars in the garage._

_Kara: Well, I already know you read this chapter and am expecting the next chapter…but as of yet it's not done, though at 17 pages I'm thinking of splitting it into a couple chapters. I know I sometimes get annoyed with really long chapters…but I also like long ones, it makes for a nice read but Chapter 5 is getting entirely to long…I don't even think I'm halfway done with it. Glad to see you updated, now I just got to let a review for you…I'm being lazy once more. Oh, plus if you've got any ideas for a collaboration between the two of us, let me know. I've got a few ideas and one that you may really like._

_Moriko: Yeah, it'll be a couple more chapters until the identity of the evil lady is revealed, but rest assured she'll get what's coming to her. Though I'm not sure yet who's going to give her her due. I'm also glad you're not threatening me…though sometimes threats can get results (that's in no way a hint to start threatening again! I don't want Wylde trying to beat me, Trin or Shirako up!)_

_Dark672: I'd be glad to refresh your memory for you. Leti Orimoto, drives Powerdyne, the yellow Mustang and is Shirako's cousin. Mikey Douglas, drives Omega One, the Civic and Jon Ryder, drives…um, actually forgot what the car is called (other than Gas Hog), but I do know it is a Neon. After checking over my notes, the Neon is called Thunderhead but everyone else calls it Crash & Burn._

_Kawaii: Nope, it's certainly not Serena. The sadistic woman was introduced in the previous story, though her appearance was short lived. Though she and Trinity most certainly do not see eye to eye, Trinity holds a deep hate for this woman._

_Well, I guess five reviews ain't to bad…but more would really be good. But I can't complain to much when I've been rather lax on the notion of reviewing myself. I'll get back in the swing of things at some point._

_Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it._


	5. Into the Dragon's Mouth

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

An AcceleRacers Fanfiction

By: Wings of Speed

Disclaimer: Look in the first chapter, you'll find it there.

Summary: It's hard to tell the truth from the lies when you're in so thick you can't remember one from the other or what was originally a lie and what was originally the truth. Vert discovers in a rather dramatic fashion that those he considered his closest relatives are in all actuality: the enemy.

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

Chapter 5: Into the Dragon's Mouth

Trinity walked out to the door control for the med-lab doors, her eyes carefully taking in every detail of the control panel. It was an older version of the door controls located within the Silencerz bases, no doubt another piece of equipment pirated from the Silencerz by Peter Tezla. Like just about everything else she had seen within Tezla's new base of operations…it was all stolen technology, stolen from those she worked for!

Anger seethed silently through her body and a growing need to strangle something eclipsed all rational thought. One way or another, Peter Tezla would pay for his misdeeds, one of the Silencerz Agents would see to that.

She gently laid a finger on the panel, running the pad of her index finger gently down and across the front of the panel. "If memory serves me right, there are two power sources for this particular model. The main and the auxiliary…take out the auxiliary source and it'll flood the main with an overload of stored energy. Effectively making the door unusable."

_To bad I couldn't do the same thing to Tezla_, she thought grimly.

There was the sound of pounding footsteps, causing Trinity's head to quickly jerk around toward the source of the new sound. Her long strawberry blond haired billowed around her, coming to rest once more against her back in long red-golden sheets. She pushed a few stray stands from before her eyes and regarded the hallway from which the steps were coming from with an air of deep concentration.

"Wonder who Lani managed to run into in such a short amount of time." She said softly to herself, her mind instantly ticking off the possibilities of who the newcomer could be. She glanced down at the watch on her right wrist, if things were going as planned, the two new cars should be arriving any minute now, if they hadn't arrived already.

The arrival of the two cars should have everyone busy, preoccupied outside of the manor. Leaving only Lani and Dr. Tezla in the building. Lani had already been dealt with and Tezla should be taken care of in just a matter of moments. As long as Serena was keeping her part of the deal and nothing had been screwed up.

"Guess I'd better get back in there so I can greet my guest properly," she said quietly as she walked back into the med-lab, the door whirring shut behind her.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Serena peered cautiously around the bend in the hallway before her; the distance in front was deserted. As had been expected, everyone save for Dr. Tezla was out front gawking at the new car arrivals. The arrival of Bass Reflex and Livid Thunder would keep everyone occupied long enough for her and the rest of the Silencerz agents to complete that which they had come to do.

By the end of the night, it was a good possibility that there would be no one left alive in this manor. All that were possible rivals to the Silencerz ascent to ultimate power would be dealt with, and with their demise, there would be no one to stand in their way of total and utter domination.

She grinned wickedly as she took a basic combat stance and allowed her body to flow in a quick and efficient movement around the bend in the hallway. She twisted her body, ducking and rolling across the floor, her course taking her to the opposite wall. Her feet planted firmly on the floor and she pushed herself up with a fluid motion, her years with the Silencerz adding a catlike grace to her movements.

She was not the one who excelled in stealth and covert operations though, that was Trinity's specialty. Serena's specialty in life was torture and interrogation. No one could interrogate a prisoner quite the same as she could.

She spied the door at the end of the hallway, and if the information she'd been supplied with was correct, this was the room in which Tezla seemed to like to secrete himself in. He probably still as of yet, had no clue as to what was going on within his new base, probably didn't have a clue as to the danger that had been invited in via the front door.

Her grin turned sadistic as she lightly grabbed hold of the door handle and gave it a quick turn. She wasn't surprise to discover that it didn't so much as budge. She would've been surprised if it had opened, Tezla after all didn't like being interrupted.

Like any true Silencerz agent, she had a way around this slight obstacle. She grabbed a small device from the utility belt around her waist and placed it just below the door handle. It was strange to think that with all the advanced technology within the house, that Tezla would still use something as simple and archaic as a wooden door to protect his secret projects.

A wry grin spread across her face, for all of Tezla's intelligence one had to wonder if perhaps he wasn't quite as smart as everyone believed.

She touched a button on the device and watched patiently as twin lights winked on and off on it. They continued to wink in red for a few moments before they turned green and stayed on. The sound of a lock clicking could be heard and seconds later the door opened minutely, not a sound being heard as it opened on well oiled hinges.

"Probably mistake number one Tezla, you would have had some warning had the door made a noise."

"That's not so," a voice replied from within. "Any good agent would've suspected that it was entirely too easy getting into my study with such ease. I've known for quite a while that you were out there."

Serena walked into the study, her eyes momentarily colliding with those of Dr. Tezla's. "Ah, so at long last we finally meet. To bad there will only be one of us walking out of here alive."

"Indeed," Tezla retorted.

"Indeed," Serena repeated.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

With a cautious air, Leti stepped carefully into the med-lab, there was no telling what Trinity would be doing or what sort of mood she would be in, or if she was even still in the med-lab. If what Lani had said was true and Trinity had reverted back to her alternate self, the person she had been after Rocky's death, then there would be no telling what the young woman would be capable of doing.

Her moods had been fickle at that time; her hold on sanity had just been by a bare thread. For her to have returned to that state of mind could just be a disaster waiting to happen. The question was: What had caused her to return to this person that Leti hadn't been able to recognize back then? That person had not been the Trinity Leti had grown up with. Back then, Trinity had become a complete stranger to Leti and everyone else she had been acquainted with.

Leti cautiously peered around the opened door, her eyes slowly surveying everything within the room. She spotted Trinity a couple of paces from the open door; the other girl's back facing the doorway. Trin was bent down near an open drawer, her hands rummaging around within the drawer. It appeared she was looking for something specific.

But what, Leti wasn't certain of.

She stepped cautiously into the room, hoping not to startle Trinity. To do so could only end up in something terrible. "Trinity?" she spoke softly, hoping not to allow any inflection of the fear that was coursing through her body to enter her voice. Trinity didn't respond, didn't even give any indication that she had heard her. "Trinity?" she tried again, a little louder this time as she moved further into the room.

This time Trinity did acknowledge her, but it was not exactly in the way Leti had been expecting. She suddenly found herself pinned against the wall, Trinity's hand ruthlessly gripping her throat, nearly cutting off her oxygen supply. She gasped, trying to draw in much needed air, her eyes locking with those of her friend. She didn't recognize the eyes staring back at her though.

The blue eyes looking back at her were emotionless…cold, unfeeling, uncaring…not the warm, merriment filled eyes that were normally Trinity Wheeler. "Trin…ity…" she just barely managed to gasp out.

Trinity's eyes narrowed as she clasped her hand tighter around the other's neck. "You shouldn't be here," she spit out, her face now only inches from Leti's. "Your best bet right now, when I let go of your throat, is to leave this room and pretend you never saw a thing. That's only if you want to live…if you don't, then go ahead and start babbling to the first person you come across. I can only guarantee one thing though; if you should choose to do this…your death will be inevitable."

The thrill of the hunt was coursing through Trinity's bloodstream, and the thought of possible bloodshed started her body humming with anticipation. The Imperative, the conditioning, both were in full effect, straining for the completion of the mission.

Her lips curved up in a wicked smile, "I will find you Leti, no matter where you may run. I will find you and enjoy putting an end to this miserable existence you call a life. As well as ending the lives of all those you so chose to talk to, all those you care about. The ones you love."

Her mind suddenly flashed with hideous images of blood bathing her outstretched hands, splatters of blood coating anything within a ten foot radius. Indeed, the Imperative was in complete control and it was lusting for blood. This was a strange side effect that had never been documented in all the years that agents had been through the Conditioning and later installed with the Imperative. This was a side effect that had never been displayed and with that newfound knowledge came a brief flash of uncertainty.

Something was not right, something was very, very wrong.

Leti stared into her cold and fathomless eyes, "You're…not…Trinity," she gasped out, struggling against the hand that was still clenched around her throat. "Trinity wouldn't do this!" She fought against this stranger, her panic adding fuel to her struggles.

The wicked smile turned into a sneer and the blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who are you to tell me who I am or who I am not? You who has her back to the wall and gasping for air?" Her teeth flashed in a feral snarl, "I am indeed Trinity and I am also your worst nightmare."

The hand tightened even more around her throat, completely cutting off her supply of air. Leti closed her eyes, not wanting to look at this stranger any longer. She could feel the pinpricks of tears on the back of her eyelids and she fought to keep her tears at bay. She would not show weakness in front of this person.

"Courtney's coming," she managed to gasp out; just as black dots began to flicker on the back of her closed eyelids. She was close to succumbing to the blackness that was even now reaching out toward her.

She felt the hand loosen its grip and she slumped to the floor, one of her hands almost immediately going to her throat. She opened her eyes and scooted further back against the wall, a futile attempt to put as much distance as possible between her and this person she was certain was not her friend and teammate. She eyed Trinity wearily, not certain what the other's next move would be.

"What?" Trinity asked, her eyes narrowing even more as the word came out as a barely suppressed snarl.

"You heard me," Leti responded, her voice raspy from the abuse her throat had been forced to endure. "Courtney's coming and Shirako will probably be with her."

Trinity's eyes narrowed even further, now becoming nearly mere slits. "You've made two mistakes there Leti: your first was involving Courtney in this and your other mistake and probably your greatest, was involving Shirako in it. Courtney I could deal with, her life wouldn't be forfeit…unlike Shirako…well, he won't be as lucky."

Leti, her mouth working like that of a fish out of water, stared up at Trinity. "You would kill him Trinity? You would honestly kill Shirako?" Her eyes became watery once more and she fought against the tears that so badly wanted to fall, but she couldn't let them. "I thought you cared for him Trinity!" She screamed at her team leader.

A sardonic laugh escaped from Trinity's lips, "At one point I probably did. At one point I probably cared for all of you, but emotions are now beneath me. If he gets in my way…if you get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill either of you. No one, and I mean no one, will interfere with the job I've been sent here to do."

Trinity whirled around, completely ignoring the other girl now. "It would be in your best interest not to move now Leti, you won't get very far if you try to leave this room anyhow. You should have listened to me when you had the chance, now your fate is out of my hands." She threw over her shoulder, not even bothering to look at Leti or seeing the look of horror that had suddenly crossed the other's face. "I won't hesitate to kill you old friend, and I wouldn't even blink an eye in the process." She turned completely to face Leti for just a few moments as a sneer crossed her face, "Or would you like to test me on that theory?"

"I'd be only too happy to accommodate you on that."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Courtney stared at the woman, her mind back flashing through images she had thought she'd put in her past, images she had thought she'd completely forgotten about. Apparently she had been completely wrong and the past had decided to saunter its way right back into the present.

That was just her luck, it seemed the past always liked to come up and bite you when you least expected it to…or wanted it to for that matter.

The woman smiled at her, showing pearly whites that reminded the young woman of the grin of a wolf. The woman was the predator and Courtney unfortunately had fallen into the role of the prey.

Court held her stance, her center of gravity low, waiting for the woman to make the first move and come at her. She rolled her weight to the balls of her feet, lightly balancing, and it became a game of waiting. She watched the older woman, bits and pieces of her training with the Silencerz flashing through her mind in a blaze and her muscles instantly tensed or relaxed, depending on the orders they were receiving from her brain.

"Come now," the woman clucked as she approached Courtney. "That's no way to greet an old friend, now is it? I was delighted when I learned we'd be delivering these beautiful cars to you and your cousin." Her so called delight certainly didn't reach her eyes, if anything, there was malevolence in her pale blue orbs. And the grin that spread across her face was not any better, it seemed full of sadistic glee.

Out of the pan and into the fire. Better yet, as Trinity had always been so found of saying: Out of the den and into the dragon's jaws.

"What's going on?" Vert asked softly as he approached his cousin and this unknown woman. Courtney apparently knew her from somewhere and judging by the look on her face, she wasn't too thrilled at all to see the lady. "Do you know her Court?"

Courtney's eyes widened momentarily, she had almost completely forgotten about Vert and his friends being there, she'd been so caught up with the appearance of this…this woman. She couldn't think of a nasty word to describe the lady at the time, there weren't any suitable enough to give definition to her thoughts and opinions of this abomination that called itself a human being.

Courtney turned to face Vert, her eyes momentarily searching his. Her eyes were trying to communicate something silently to him, trying to tell him something he couldn't understand. "Vert," she said softly, she felt hollow inside, she wanted to spill everything, tell him everything she knew about this woman and the Silencerz…but to do that would be like signing her life away. Would be like signing her own death certificate and that was something she really wasn't ready to commit to yet.

Besides, there was also the fact that to reveal anything she knew would also put his life and everyone else's in danger as well. If she lived through this mess, would she be able to live with herself if something happened to one of these people? She honestly didn't think so.

But she highly doubted that she'd live through this ordeal though. The Silencerz would make certain that she and any she talked to about the Silencerz secret affairs would be silenced forever.

"Courtney?" he asked softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were filled with despair and guilt and he couldn't understand why.

Her gaze briefly left his, searching the rest of the crowd, his gathered friends. She met Nolo's eyes for a moment then moved onto the next. Karma. Kara. Shirako. Kurt…all these people could be dead in a matter of moments if she wasn't careful.

"Courtney!" the shout came from the front of the manor, near the main entrance.

Courtney's eyes quickly sought out the owner of the voice, not being able to place it right away. She spotted Lani running toward them, one of her hands gripping her side as if she were in pain. A look of horror was etched on her face; her eyes seemed almost wild with fright.

Nolo was the first to move, his sudden motion taking him immediately to the distraught woman. He caught her just as her legs gave out from beneath her, almost causing her to crash to the ground. "Lani?" he asked softly, "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him then directed her gaze to Courtney, "It's Trinity, she's woken up but there's something not right. Something's very wrong."

"What do you mean?" Courtney asked, her gaze sweeping over Lani quickly. Lani looked fine; she didn't appear to be hurt. Other than the fact that she was holding her side, but that was probably from running all the way here from the med-lab.

Then Court turned to look over her shoulder at the woman who now stood about ten feet behind her. She knew deep in her gut that this woman had something to do with what was happening now and that knowledge set a deep shudder of dread coursing through her body. "What's not right?" Her eyes returned to Lani, watching as the other young woman tried shakingly to get her feet back beneath her.

Lani gently shook Nolo's hands off and slowly approached Courtney, she gripped the blond in a death grip, her fingers wrapping tightly around Courtney's upper arms. She shook her head, not certain how to explain what had transpired within the med-lab. "She wasn't herself," she said weakly. "It was like she woke up a different person…someone evil."

Courtney's eyes opened wide in shock and she took a step back from Lani. She turned slowly to look at the woman, their eyes meeting and holding. The woman smiled wickedly. "I guess it would be _imperative_ that you go check on your cousin, wouldn't it? Wouldn't want her hurting innocent people, now would we?"

To say that the grin that spread across the woman's face was sadistic, would be an understatement. The grin on her face was pure evil…malicious.

_This was originally the first 8 pages of a chapter that spanned 20-some pages…just a bit too long in my opinion. I didn't want to bore you with my overly descriptive methods of writing and I do honestly know that I describe things entirely too much. It's one of my worst habits and if it gets on your nerves…well, deal with it! Sorry, bad humor there, just the type of mood I'm in at the moment._

_Now onto the shout outs…_

_Moriko: Please no, don't think about the threat thing! As for how Trin's going to beat Wylde up…well, she's a Silencerz agent, who said she's going to play fair? Fair at this moment in time is not something that is in her vocabulary…rule number 1 of the Imperative: Finish your objective at all costs, no matter what must be done. The mission must be completed._

_ZachCoggin: Well, I'm not sure what's up…but apparently you're the only one having such problems. I looked the chapter over to see if it was happening on my computer, but everything was fine…so I'm not sure and no one else made mention of the same type of problem. Hopefully this chapter won't be screwed up for you._

_Kara: Well girl, I don't think there's much I can say to you I haven't already. Congrats on the basketball league though and hopefully softball is going good. I already sent you the first chapter of our story, just let me know what you think, take your time though if you're busy, we're in no hurry here after all._

_Firedragon: Trinity's basically already possessed…the main question is going to be, will she be able to fight the programming of the Silencerz or is she going to complete her mission and basically kill everyone that gets in her way? Guess you'll have to continue reading to find that answer out…evil, aren't I?_

_Kawaii: Long time…most popular author? Wow…such lovely praise though I'm not certain I deserve it. I think there are other authors out there that are a lot better than myself…I just haven't found them yet. dodges thrown tomato Bit of humor there, I'm in a rare mood and I should be going to bed since I have to be up in about six hours to go to work. Sleep depravation is not always a good thing, lol. Lani will probably be doing more freaking out as the story progresses, we'll just have to wait and see. Not sure on the origin of Leti's name…I actually took it from the Fast and the Furious, just spelled it differently. Happy Easter to you too, though a bit late. And your reviews are never nonsense, so don't ever think they are. I enjoy them after all._

_On a side note, I will no longer be responding to reviews in the chapters after this. I started a nice little forum thingy for the AcceleRacers (through the site) and will be responding to reviews through that. That's if I can remember to do so._


	6. Tightening of the Noose

An AcceleRacers Fanfiction

By: Wings of Speed

Disclaimer: Look in the first chapter, you'll find it there.

Summary: It's hard to tell the truth from the lies when you're in so thick you can't remember one from the other or what was originally a lie and what was originally the truth. Vert discovers in a rather dramatic fashion that those he considered his closest relatives are in all actuality: the enemy.

Warning: Nothing much mentioned in this chapter…just subtle hints of a violent nature. Or at least I think they're just subtle hints, one can never be sure in my demented mind. Then there's also the fact that I'm working on Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 all at once…so things are completely muddled in my mind. No, wait, scratch that…I'm tweaking chapters 6 through 9 and working on Chapter 10…er…something like that. I don't know any more! What I do know is that I've got several chapters finished a head of time and am slowly working more information into them…er…yeah, shutting up now 'cause I'm confusing even myself on this issue…onto the show and enjoy what comes from my demented way of thinking.

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

Chapter 6: The Tightening of the Noose

Courtney had taken off at a dead run, not even bothering to pay attention to see if her cousin and the rest of his friends were following her. Dirt was kicked up by her shoes as she throttled into a full out run, but she didn't care; nothing else mattered but getting to Trinity, at least nothing at that point in time. The only thing that mattered was getting to her cousin before the older girl did something that she knew Trinity would regret for the rest of her life…that's if the Imperative would ever leave her out of its grip.

The rest of the racers were left standing outside of the manor, perplexed and confused as to the occurrence of the most recent of events. Some stared after Courtney while others stared at the unknown woman, wondering exactly what part she played in the strange things that were suddenly happening since the appearances of the Winds and their leader. While the rest just stared, completely baffled and unsure exactly where it was that they wanted to let their eyes rest: stare at the woman like a bunch of idiots or watch Courtney's retreating back like a bunch of morons? At that point in time one idea was sounding about as good as the other.

A westward wind blew, scattering bits and pieces of dirt and debris into the air. In the distance a dirt devil formed, kicking even more dirt into the air as the wind whirled around in a sporadic tornadic funnel. As quickly as the dirt devil had formed it disappeared, leaving a rain of dirt in its wake…the only sign of its passing.

Nolo sidled up along side of Vert and whispered in his teammate's ear, "Do you have the slightest clue on what just happened here, or are you just as much in the dark as the rest of us?" The wind gently caressed his skin and hair, threatening to spill a few stray pieces into his face. He irritably brushed them from his face, his dark eyes centered on Vert.

Vert shook himself out of his perplexed thoughts and looked at his leader. He shook his head in answer, "Your guess is about as good as mine at the moment." Things were muddled at the moment and he wasn't one hundred percent positive on which way was up and which was down. The world seemed to have titled on its axis and was leaving all of its occupants in a state of confusion.

Lani slowly walked up to Vert, but her eyes were constantly trained on the strange woman who had returned to the tow-backs, almost as if she believed that this stranger was the cause of the misfortune that had settled on the area. She briefly glanced away from the strange woman to look Vert directly in the face, then her eyes slowly turned to survey the rest of the gathered racers. Her eyes then came back to Vert and she spoke slowly, as if weighing each of her words before she said them, "Leti said to get Courtney, that she can sometimes get through to Trinity when she's in this type of mood…" her voice broke off as she considered Vert for a moment, an unknown look briefly flashing across her eyes. "Has this happened before Vert? Is Trinity a danger to herself as well as others?" There, she'd said it and now she waited patiently for the burst of anger she was positive was sure to erupt from Vert.

For a second Vert stared at her like she had grown a second head as the heat of his anger flashed in his eyes, "If either one of my twin cousins had been a danger to anyone, it would've been Serena. Serena was the one after all that used to enjoy ripping the wings off of flies just for the fun of it, or pouring salt on slugs just to watch them bubble up and disintegrate…if either of the two were evil it would have been Serena, not Trin. I've never heard of her acting like this before."

"I don't know Vert," Lani said softly, unconvinced, "The way Leti was talking, this has happened before. Maybe you don't know your cousins' as well as you think after all. It is possible you know, people do change as they grow older or certain events shape the outcome of who they'll become." Her eyes quickly darted to where Taro and Karma were standing near to one another, the two were talking softly, their voices barely carrying but their eyes kept darting to the strange woman that had now moved to unload both cars from their carriers.

Vert shook his head, not completely believing what she was saying. "I think I would know my cousins a little better then you would Lani, I've known them longer after all, no offense or anything. But what you're trying to say, it just doesn't fit with the Trinity I know. Like I said, I'd be more inclined to believe this of Serena, but she's dead."

"All is not as it seems," he heard the woman say as Bass Reflex rolled off of the carrier, suspension groaning as the car rocked as its tires carried it onto the unevenly paved driveway of the manor.

Vert stared at the woman for a moment and then ignored her, figuring she was just talking to herself or something.

Lani had turned to look at the woman as well, her eyes just briefly alighting on the stranger before turning to look at Vert once more. Her gaze jumped over the rest of the racers as her eyes returned to Vert and something suddenly occurred to her that she had forgotten before. "Leti also said to bring Shirako if I ran into him, she thinks he might be able to snap Trinity out of whatever she's sunken into…Something happened between the two of them, didn't it? More than what anyone was telling me?"

Vert shook his head, "You're guess is as good as mine. I'm not really sure, I just know he found Trinity after she wrecked Court's car…he didn't really tell me much more after that, but with Leti being his cousin, he might've revealed a bit more to her than he would the rest of us."

"Don't you think we should be following Courtney, if Trin's as much of a danger as Lani and Leti think-" Kara began, speaking up for the first time since the other girl had come running out of Tezla's manor. She was standing close to Vert, the fingers of her hand nearly brushing against his own.

Karma interrupted Kara with a snort, "If? Ha! That girl's more danger than any of us thinks. I still say she's working for the Silencerz and she's here to stab us all in the back."

Anger flashed in Vert's eyes as he turned them to regard his teammate, "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep such opinions to yourself." He ground out between clenched teeth, one of his hands fisting until the knuckles turned white. "She's still foremost my cousin, and unlike you, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. She's done nothing directly to even give me the slightest notion that she's working for the Silencerz. The only things you have to support your ideas are the fact that she's been in the wrong place at the wrong time." He took an angered step toward Karma, only to feel a warm hand placed on his shoulder.

"I think it'd be in our best interest to follow Courtney. Maybe we can offer her some help." Kara said softly, trying to end the fight before it had the chance to get off the ground. The last thing they needed at that second was members from the same team going at each others' throats. "Besides, you heard what Lani said, Leti seems to think that Shirako can help in some way. We should be getting in there, besides, I don't want to miss a single thing as it unfolds." A wicked grin spread across her face, "I hate missing out on fights, especially if I can be involved."

Vert shook his head as he looked at her. "Fine, let's get going."

"What about her?" Nolo asked as he hiked a thumb in the general direction of the woman who had just finished rolling Livid Thunder off of one of the roll backs. "We just gonna leave her out here all by herself?"

Kara snorted, "I don't see what harm she could do. Besides, with all the security measures that Uncle Peter has in effect, I don't see her as being that much of a danger. A minor nuisance maybe, but nothing more."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The woman laughed to herself as she watched the gathered group depart, not even bothering to leave someone out there to watch over her. They were inviting danger in via the front door and they didn't even realize it at the moment. Then again, danger had already entered and they weren't any the wiser in that regard.

She laughed wickedly as a sadistic smile crossed her face. "It'll only be a matter of time until you realize your folly, but by that time it'll already be too late and there will be nothing you can do to stop that which will inevitably destroy you all. This time Tezla, you and your rag tag band of racers will not win. The Silencerz will ultimately destroy you and the surprise will come when you realize that one you put your trust in will be the one wielding the knife that will slice through your heart." Her blue eyes sparkled with an insane madness.

She opened the door to Bass Reflex and hit a button that was expertly concealed near the driver's seat. "It'll only be a matter of time until the noose tightens around your neck, only then will you realize the folly of your ways. Only then will you scream for her to end this miserable existence you call a life."

Her laughter echoed through the stillness of the air, resounding off of distance hills to echo back to her. "Then the third Wheeler will be ours and our victory will be assured. Then there will be no possible way that we can be thwarted, our victory will be definite."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Serena glanced with interest into the room beyond the door. Dr. Tezla sat on a swivel chair, a desk and computer terminal behind him. He was facing her, almost as if he were waiting for her to enter.

She took a cautious step further into the room, her eyes inspecting everything and anything. She watched for the slightest of movement, anything that would signal an ambush. Nothing caught her eye.

Along the walls were shelves of books, they lined each one of the walls, seemingly in an endless sea of bindings and pages. Even more books covered the computer desk and there were even some thrown on the floor, littering the space around the desk and chair. Computer paper, notebook papers and other debris were strewn about the floor, giving the impression that a two year old had wreaked havoc in the secluded space of the room.

"Rather interesting décor you have going on here _Peter_ Tezla," Serena said snidely. "Housekeeper decide to quit on you or something?"

Tezla waved a hand in the air, dismissing her arrogant remark about the shambles his study was in. "Take a seat, please. I'll presume by your resemblance to Vert's cousin that you must be the dead twin. I can say that I'm really not surprised to discover that you're very much alive."

"Such wonderful powers of observation you've got there," she responded, her eyes turning into ice, resembling a lake in the dead of winter.

"I'll also presume that since you're here, there must be other agents within my home."

A wicked smile crossed her face, "At least two that you are familiar with and a few more you are not. We've got everything well in hand and it'll only be a matter of time until we've got what we came for."

"And just exactly what is that?"

"I'm sure you know."

"My first guess would be Vert, but something tells me that is not entirely the truth. If that were so, you wouldn't have come searching for me."

"Again, your powers of observation are rather astute."

"You've come for the AcceleChargers would be my guess. You should be forewarned that I do not have them. Vert did not return with them. Your superiors still retain them in their possession."

Serena gave a laugh, "If you think I'm going to believe that than you are sorely mistaken. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Silencerz do not hold them. They are here, within this building someplace and I will find them." Her eyes glared at him coldly, "Even if I have to tear this place apart piece by piece."

"You can tear this place apart piece by piece, as you so put it, but you will not find them here. I do not have them." He just stared at her, his eyes revealing nothing.

She stepped further into the room and closed the door behind her. Serena leaned back against the closed door, a look of malevolence crossing her face as she regarded Dr. Tezla. "Would you like to know what my expertise is with the Silencerz?"

Dr. Tezla regarded her with a raised eyebrow, he sighed in annoyance. "I suppose it matters not if I really don't want to know or care. Would I be right in that guess?"

Her smile widened, "Perhaps you are brighter than I ever gave you credit for. Of course you're guess would be correct, I care not what you want." She raised a hand before her and grasped the elastic band on the silver and purple trimmed glove that covered it. With a loud resounding smack, she pulled the glove more snuggly down over her hand, her eyes never once leaving those of Tezla's. "My specialty would be interrogation and torture, something that you'll be able to experience first hand if you don't tell me where the AcceleChargers are at."

"And again, I will tell you that they are not here."

Serena shrugged, "Keep singing that tune, soon enough you'll be screaming…no, actually you'll be begging to tell me things that are of no concern to me. Matters not one way or another to me, I enjoy what I do."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

They arrived at the med-lab, only to find the door locked tight. The control functions had been fried and there was no way to activate the backup systems, whatever Trinity had done, she'd done a superb job of it. Everything pertaining to the functions of the door had been melted and was now just a molten mess of metal and wires. Completely and utterly unusable.

Lani had quickly set to work, before any of them had arrived. Now, with both Shirako and Monkey at her side, she was attempting to bypass whatever it was that Trinity had managed to do. In all honesty, it looked like she had set fire to the door controls.

Shirako's hands trembled as he held up a wire and watched as Lani peeled back some of the plastic coating from it, then spliced it into another harness deeper within the control's framework. She glanced up at Monkey and indicated for him to try the door release.

Nothing happened.

Time seemed to collapse in on itself as everyone waited with bated breath, watching as Lani peeled and spliced various other wires to other harnesses within the fire scalded framework of the door controls. After an eternity had seemed to pass, in reality only being a few minutes, she glanced back up at Monkey. She indicated with a nod of her head for him to try the controls once again.

This time there was a mechanical whine, then the door shuddered, but it didn't open.

"She seems to have known what she was doing," Lani said softly, her eyes once more focusing on the wires and connectors in front of her.

Courtney silently shook her head, a frown creasing her lips. "She was always the technical know-how, the mechanical whiz amongst all of us." _As well as being the one that could sneak into anyplace undetected. A master of stealth…a deadly assassin._

"She can't still be in there," Nolo said softly, "not if the outside is fried. She'd had to of come out in order to do that, wouldn't she?"

Lani glanced up at him momentarily, then focused once more on the control panel before her. "Theoretically, I would have to agree with you, but she blasted this door for a reason and I want to know what that reason was."

"To throw us off," Courtney said softly from nearly right behind Lani. "She's not in there, she's somewhere within the house and probably knows exactly where all of us are at. She's probably linked up to the computer system and is monitoring everything that we're now doing. She'll remain a step ahead of us at each turn."

Lani turned for a split second to look at Vert's cousin. She silently shook her head, "That's just not possible. In order to get into the computer controls and the house monitors, she'd have to have the passcodes and encoders for the computer system. They're heavily encrypted and only a few now the codes to access them."

"Trinity's a whiz when it comes to things like this…she's what you would call a slicer, for want of a better word." Courtney responded softly. She was giving out to much information, but she had a gut feeling that things were going to be revealed soon enough. Her worst fears were being realized.

If Trinity was still in contact with the Silencerz, then she had everything at her disposal that she would need to hack into the computer systems…she'd be able to override everything and do what she pleased. Each of the three Silencerz agents had various areas that they excelled at: With Trinity it was her ability to slip into areas undetected, like a shadow and her innate ability with anything mechanical, including computers and their systems. Serena had excelled at torture and interrogation, if given the right amount of time she could get any prisoner to spill their guts and babble information that they hadn't even been asked about. Courtney's niche had been combat and battle schematics, if given an hour or so to study maps that showed the positioning of enemy and friendly troops alike, she could just about tell you in what way the battle would turn.

"What do you mean? Why would she do something like this?" Nolo asked, his gaze hard as he stared at Courtney. He was beginning to get the feeling that Karma's mistrust of the Winds, Trinity in particular, had a solid foundation. He himself was beginning to doubt whether they should be trusting any of these racers from Wyoming.

They hardly knew a thing about this group, other than the fact that a few of them were Vert's cousins and one of them was Shirako's.

"Because I'm almost positive she's not acting on her own anymore," Courtney answered softly. She visibly swallowed, the movement seeming to cause her a great amount of discomfort. "She's-" Courtney started, just as the lights went out.

Everything was tossed into blackness darker than even the deepest of night. The emergency lighting didn't come on and the backup generators didn't kick in either…just complete darkness as far as the eye couldn't see.

Several screams were heard as bodies collided with one another in the dark. There were the shuffling of feet and the sound of grunts here and there as someone either tripped over someone else or a foot or elbow came in contact with someone else's body.

"This can not be good," Tork said softly somewhere to the right of Courtney. "What's she up to now?"

At about the same time Mikey's terrified scream could be heard echoing through the otherwise silent hallway. His rough panting could be heard as he struggled for breath, his fear overwhelming all of his emotions.

"That's for me to know and you not to, Tork Maddox," a voice said over the PA system of the manor. Then in a more sinister voice, "Grow up for once would you Mikey, your fear of the dark does you no justice. It only serves to belittle you."

"What the?" Tork growled as he attempted to whirl around in the dark. His sudden grunt signified that he'd managed to run into someone else in the dark.

"Watch where you're stepping!" Kara's voice suddenly shouted out in the darkness. "That was me you stepped on you oaf!"

"Sorry," he muttered into the darkness, backpedaling a couple of steps but not being certain in which direction he was going. He came up hard against a solid form and felt someone reach out to steady him, "Thanks…whoever you are," he mumbled softly, his voice echoing in the silence of the dark hallway.

"Just me," came Taro's voice.

"Some_thing_ touched me!" Mikey's shrill voice echoed in the darkness, but at this point it seemed no one was paying him any mind. There were more important matters to deal with.

"Hmmm…how interesting, the Maniacs actually do have manners and know how to use them. I'll have to make sure to let my superiors know this, we'd always wondered if you were all near Neanderthals or if you just acted like it." The same voice echoed over the PA system.

"Show yourself!" Tork growled into the darkness, his anger climbing in intensity with each insult that the unknown antagonist threw their way. "Or are you a stinking coward?"

A light laugh issued from the speakers hidden within the walls, "Me? A coward? Certainly not, as I'm sure you will come to find out. But this brash bravado that seems to be your façade will really get you nowhere with me…though it may get you to an early grave if you don't reign in your antagonism rather quickly."

Tork swore quietly beneath his breath, this person was really pushing his buttons and seemed to enjoy doing so. "I think you are a coward, otherwise you'd have shown yourself already. You're just too afraid to face us directly and have to hide behind those speakers instead of facing us head-on."

"I've already faced you Tork Maddox, more than once, and I think at one point you've even been inclined to maybe call me friend. Though that was a mistake that may very well cost you your life, as well as the life of the others."

"Who are you?" Vert called into the thin air, though he was inclined to believe he already knew who it was and he was sure the others knew as well. The voice was unmistakable, though the coldness that ran through it didn't really sound like his cousin…it sounded more like another one of his cousins, one that was dead.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the voice admonished. "Can you really tell me you don't recognize the voice of your little cousin Vert? Or perhaps your mind is to preoccupied with that little girl that wants to be a street racer…what's her name? Oh yeah…Cora…no, that's not quite right. Oh yes, Kara. Dr. Tezla's very own niece."

"Excuse me, but if you have something to say about me you can say it directly to my face you bitch!" Kara ground out in anger. She hadn't decided one way or the other on whether or not she liked Trinity, but this sure as hell had decided things for her. She'd rip the pansy-ass street racer to shreds if given the opportunity.

"Oh, sorry _Kara_, nearly forgot you were there as well. You are so easy to forget after all and it won't be long before Vert forgets about you as well. You'll just be a faded memory to him in the end, a faded memory that won't even cross his mind as time passes by."

"Why you-" Kara growled, her fingers itching to tighten around the other young woman's neck.

"Don't listen to her," Courtney advised softly, "She's just trying to goad you into a reaction. To fog your mind with anger will make you an easier opponent to deal with later. One's mind does not think rationally when hampered by anger or any other form of emotion." It was a basic rule amongst the Silencerz, one that had proven true on more than one occasion.

"Ok Yoda," Pork Chop mumbled beneath his breath. "Don't be going all Star Wars here on us."

"Shove it you oaf," Courtney snapped.

"Can it, both of you!" Tork admonished, his voice tight with anger. "We need to figure out where she's at and what she's up to."

"And why," Nolo added. "She's planning something and we need to figure out what and why."

"I still say she works for the Silencerz," Karma cut in. "That's all the reason she would need to do something like this. Besides, doesn't it seem a little strange that a Silencerz car shows up shortly after she and the Winds do? I think they're all in cahoots with the Silencerz." If she had been able to see, she would've directed her glare at Courtney and the rest of the Winds.

"Excuse me, I don't know who in the hell these Silencerz are or what they are, but I'll be damned if I'll have a hot head like you accusing me and the rest of the crew for working for them!" A male voice broke the silence, the anger in his voice apparent.

"Cool it Mikey," Courtney admonished.

"Besides, there's also the fact that Leti's missing," another male voice cut in: Jon's.

"She's probably with Trinity laughing at all of us," Karma growled.

"I doubt it," Shirako's voice broke the silence for the first time. "She wouldn't deal with a group like the Silencerz, their ideals are too shady."

"And neither would Trin or Court, right Court." Vert added.

There was no answer in the silence, not even a whispered response. "Courtney," Vert whispered, his voice barely discernable, even in the silence of the hallway. "Courtney, neither you nor Trinity would work for the Silencerz, tell them." There was a pleading note to his voice now, he desperately didn't want what Karma was accusing his cousins of to be true. But Courtney was not denying it…and her silence was an unspoken sign of guilt.

It suddenly felt like Vert's world was coming crashing down around him. First he finds out that his father is working for the enemy…and now this! What more could happen, what more could go so thoroughly wrong?

_As stated earlier, chapters 7, 8 and 9 are complete, they just need some adjusting before I even contemplate posting them. I'd originally had this chapter completed several times, but lo-and-behold, I discovered some things that needed to be added so…yeah, I kept working on it even when it was 'finished'. _

_I stated in the previous chapter that I would no longer be responding to reviews via the ending of the chapter but Moriko was kind enough to point out that she doesn't visit the forums so for you, I'll make an exception. If anyone else doesn't visit the forums and would like your questions answered, feel free to let me know in a review. I'll make exceptions for those that don't visit the forums…or if by chance, no one uses them, then I'll forgo the whole thing all together and just keep the responses here._

_Moriko: It's not actually Trin that's bloodthirsty, that's just one of the nice side effects of being in complete control of the Imperative. The rating probably should go up 'cause there are going to be some dark issues in one of the later chapters and you are probably going to kill me for what happens to Wylde, but you'll deal with it in the end. I don't kill him or anything so you don't have to worry about that. He's just a complex character in my opinion and I just love torturing those types. Yes, General Tyler (the woman) does indeed know what's going on…she has her hands in it after all. There probably will be some extreme violence, but I'm not going to go into great detail on it…I'll explain a couple nice explosions (say goodbye to the rest of the Winds' cars) and that'll be about the extent of it. So yea, extreme violence, but no graphic detailing._


	7. So It Begins

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

An AcceleRacers Fanfiction

By: Wings of Speed

Disclaimer: Look in the first chapter, you'll find it there.

Summary: It's hard to tell the truth from the lies when you're in so thick you can't remember one from the other or what was originally a lie and what was originally the truth. Vert discovers in a rather dramatic fashion that those he considered his closest relatives are in all actuality: the enemy.

And The Lies Continue to Crumble

Chapter 7: So It Begins

Vert blinked his eyes several times, but he still saw total blackness. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, no shadows to greet his questing eyes. _How could things have come to this?_ He wondered bleakly. It was beginning to seem that the Silencerz were a family business. First his father, and now two of his cousins. He had to wonder if Serena had been involved with the shady organization before her death as well.

Could it have possibly been her involvement with the Silencerz that had led to her death? Were they the reason that Serena was now lying six feet under?

"I'll tell you this," Trinity's voice cut over the PA system, "Leti most definitely is not with me. She's about six or so paces away from you at the moment and enjoying a bit of a much needed rest." A light chuckle followed the words.

"What!" Several shouts were heard at the same time.

Shirako swore in Japanese, his hands clenching in the darkness. _If anything has happened to her, I don't care what my feelings are for you Trinity, nothing will be able to save you._ "You better now have harmed her Trinity!" Shirako shouted out, even in the darkness he could feel his friends surprised eyes on him, surprised at his sudden outburst and the anger behind it. So unlike the quiet young man they knew.

"Oh, you need not worry; Leti is perfectly fine for the moment. But it will do you no good attempting to get into that room; I've got it locked down quite well. There'll be no getting in _or _out of it. Plus there's the nice little stipulation of the bomb that's located right inside of the door, the slightest of breezes hits that bomb and it'll go boom. Did I also mention the fact that anything within a ten foot radius of the bomb when it goes off will undoubtedly be destroyed?

"But now onto other matters, to aid in your search of _me_, I'll be kind enough to restore some of the backup lighting. Though just enough to give you a sense of your surroundings, but you'll have to worry about what might jump out from the shadows at you, or more precisely, who. You never know after all, I could be lurking around any corner, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump out and finish the job." There was what sounded like a light chuckle over the PA system, then a click indicating she had shut it off.

Seconds later, the faint illumination of the back up lights flickered to life, casting each and every person in terrifying, dimly lit shadows.

Shirako's eyes were hard black orbs of coal, his face set in a grim line as he continued to glare at the door that was keeping his cousin from rescue. "We can't leave her in there," he ground out.

"We don't have much of a choice for the moment, Shirako. We can't risk detonating that bomb," Lani pointed out. She felt helpless and by the looks on most everyone else's faces, she was inclined to believe that they felt the same way. "We'll have to find Trinity and see if there's someway to disarm that bomb before we even try getting through that door. We can't risk it going off…if what she said is true, it'd kill your cousin Shirako."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"And so the mission nears it completion and within the end of the hour Vert will be in our possession and his friends will be sleeping six feet under." Her voice was cold, calculating. There was no emotion, no sign of warmth or human compassion to signfy that the speaker was even remotely human in any aspect.

"Your car is ready then? Nothing lies in your way of completing your mission? _Nothing_ at all?" Admiral Graymond's voice asked over the small communication channel that had been opened via Dr. Tezla's own devices.

"No sir, nothing will hamper or interfere with the completion of my mission. Within the hour, Dr. Tezla and his team will be nothing more than a distant, albeit painful, memory for the Silencerz. And as long as General Tyler has seen to the well-being of Technetium, then yes, my car will be ready to go once we get to that stage of the plan."

A wicked gleam entered the admiral's eyes as he rubbed his hands together in a gleeful fashion. "Good, good. You will be commended on the success of your mission, Corporal Wheeler, once you deliver Vert Wheeler to us. Once Vert is with us, I suspect that you will be well rewarded for your endeavors by our superiors."

Her voice was a monotone, "He will be delivered within the hour sir, you can count on that if nothing else." Indeed, Vert Wheeler would be delivered to those in the Silencerz organization and Dr. Tezla and his group would never live to see the light of day. They would all die within the confines of this manor.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"We split up, three teams of five. One member from the Winds in each group so we can keep an eye on them and make sure they're not trying to help their buddy out in some way. Taro, you'd better stay with Mikey. Pork Chop, you'd better take Jon. I'll keep Courtney with me." Tork started, issuing orders like he was the one in command of everyone there.

"Excuse me here!" Courtney started, her voice aggravated at being talked about the way she and her friends were.

"I think it'd be in your best interest to remain quiet at the moment, unless you'd like us to silence ya for ya." Tork growled, giving her a look that promised pain if she didn't cooperate.

"I'm staying with Courtney," Vert said suddenly, still feeling in his gut that things weren't at all as they were appearing. There was more going on here than they were seeing. Things had to be going on that they weren't aware of. They were missing pieces to the puzzle and until those pieces were found, they wouldn't have a clear picture of what was going on. He had a gut feeling that things were definitely not as they were appearing, but why couldn't anyone else see that? Though he knew all evidence was pointing to Courtney working for the Silencerz, his gut was still telling him that he was missing something…something vital and very important.

"And I'm staying with Vert," Kara spoke up, moving to stand along side Vert and Courtney. She glanced up at Vert and smiled at him, he returned the smile, but there was a sadness to it. His eyes told her silently that he wasn't happy with the way things were turning out, that he still couldn't force his mind to grapple with the idea that his cousins were working for the enemy.

"Fine, then you're with me," Tork said as he glanced around at the gathered racers. "Monkey, you're with me too. Wylde, you go with Taro."

Nolo stared at Tork for a moment and it appeared that the Teku leader was about to disagree with Tork's orders, but then he snapped his mouth shut and remained quiet. Somehow, he felt that Tork would be the best possibility they had in getting out of this mess alive. Something told him that their lives depended on their next few moves.

There was brief bickering and squabbles over who was going with who, but finally in the end the three teams were formed. Tork had guardianship of Courtney with Vert, Kara and Monkey traveling with him. Taro was stuck watching over Mikey with Karma, Wylde and Shirako accompanying him. Pork Chop had the pleasure of watching over Jon with Nolo, Lani and Kurt helping him in that aspect.

"Pork Chop, since you have Lani with you it would probably be best if you headed to the main control room and see if you guys can undo whatever it is that Trinity's done there. Taro, you and your team head down to the garage, just to make certain she doesn't try taking one of our cars there. Meanwhile, my group and I will head out to the newly arrived cars."

Mikey snorted as this.

Tork turned fury rimmed eyes at the Winds member, "Got a problem with that?"

Mikey got up in the brawny man's face, nearly chest to chest. Mikey was small, compared to Tork at least. "Yeah man, I do got a problem with that. I got a problem with this whole thing. You're treating us like criminals and I don't like it. We didn't do a damn thing wrong!" He stuck a finger right into Tork's chest, "Besides, there's the point that Trin wouldn't want one of your cars, even if they were finished."

Tork actually chuckled at this, "You're pretty damn brave now that the lights are turned back on, besides, we've got cars down there that are road ready, just not completely finished. Then there's also the fact that I'm worried about her trying to take one of your cars. Wouldn't want her wrapping one of your precious stereo on wheels around another pole, now would we?"

This brought chuckles from several people, but when Mikey glared around at the gathered group no one would meet his eyes and the light laughter seemed to stop immediately. "I wouldn't have a problem with it if Trin did take Omega," Mikey growled. "Unlike you Maniacs, we have no problem with sharing our cars with the rest of our crew." He completely ignored Tork's jab about his fear of the dark, not taking the bait to what he knew probably would've been a loosing battle for him.

"Whateva," Wylde growled as he walked up to both Mikey and Tork. "We ain't accomplishing a thing standing here and arguing with one another. That leader of yours could be doing all sorts of things and if we're going to stop her I think it's time to move out."

"I agree with Wylde for once," Nolo spoke up.

"Fine then, let's move," Tork said as he spun on his heel and started down the hallway, heading in the general direction of the garage.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Trinity had been to the garage, just long enough to leave a few surprises for the Maniacs and Teku. She wanted to make certain that anyone entering the garage would be staying there for a little while, the fewer people to mess up her well laid plans…the better.

It was just too bad that she wouldn't be there to see the looks of surprise that crossed their faces when the bullets started to fly, so to speak.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"How nice to see you again, Miss Wheeler. I trust everything is going as planned?" the woman that had arrived with the two cars asked as Trinity sprinted out of the manor doors. Her steely blue eyes watched the younger woman as she drew closer to the two parked tow-backs.

The strawberry-blond stopped beside the carrier that had at one point held 'Bass Reflex' on its back, the white Lancer now sitting behind it. A look of ice crept into her eyes, she briefly saluted the other woman. "I wish I could say it's a pleasure to see you as well General Tyler, but we both know it's not. It's a far cry from a pleasure to be seeing you this soon again. As for everything going as planned…so far so good. I don't see any reason why the mission won't proceed as planned."

"And you're certain that Mr. Wheeler will come out here? He won't go someplace else and ruin what you've got in store for him?" General Tyler questioned, it was up to her to make certain that their objective was reached and that nothing got in the way of the Silencerz capturing Vert Wheeler as had been planned. The boy would not slip through their clutches again, she would make certain of it, if nothing else!

"I know Vert well enough and he knows me well enough as well. He'll know that once I accomplish everything I've set out to do that I'll make a mad dash for my car, the only thing is, is that he doesn't know that I accomplished everything rather quickly and am now just waiting for him and his friends to make their appearance."

"Rather cocky, aren't we Corporal Wheeler? Are you sure you'll be able to handle both him and his friends?" General Tyler asked, a glimmer of ice and amusement entering her steel grayish-blue eyes. "You're certain there won't be any unexpected surprises in store for you?"

Trinity grinned, the malevolence shining through her eyes. "I thrive on unexpected surprises, this you should already know Reanna." She took a risk in calling the general by her first name, but at this point the young woman really didn't give a damn one way or the other. The general couldn't kill her, at least not yet, but in the given future, anything was a possibility. "Besides, there's also the fact that I've been with him and his friends long enough to get a feel for the way they operate. They'll split up, mostly in an attempt to keep the rest of my crew in observation. They'll be toying with the idea that the rest of the Winds are in on this somehow. Little do they know that so far I've been working on my own, with little help from the rest of the Silencerz. All in all, I expect no unexpected little surprises in store, everything will go just as I foresee it. Everything will fall into its appointed place and Vert will be ours by the fall of night."

The general's eyes narrowed slightly, but other than that there was no indication of her displeasure of the young corporal using her first name, or the verbal rebuke. "One day though Trinity, you will be faced with an unexpected surprise that even you won't be able to squirm your way out of and when that day comes, I truly hope to hell that I'll be there to witness it."

Trinity smiled, but it appeared more of a snarl as she allowed her teeth to bare viciously. "Don't worry, if there's tickets being sold to that event, I'll make certain you get a front row seat. I may even be tempted to throw your ass in the ring myself."

This brought a chuckle to the general's lips, "You become more and more like your twin as the imperative asserts itself more forcefully. One day, what little vestiges are left of your former self will be completely wiped away and you will become the perfect Silencerz agent. Nothing will stand in your way and whatever or whoever is stupid enough to try and stop you will be completely and utterly destroyed without you so much as batting an eyelash."

The younger woman's eyes sparkled maliciously, "You'd better hope that never happens in your lifetime then. You'd definitely be one of the first things on hell's creation that'd I'd wipe clean out of existence."

The threat did not seem to disturb the general in anyway, if anything a smile of complete satisfaction seemed to cross her face. "I truly hope I do live to see that day. I believe that even Admiral Graymond will come to fear you once you reach your full potential."

"He's definitely on the top of my list of people that should be done away with…it's probably a pretty good tie between the two of you. But I'm quite certain that in the end, he'll take the cake. What you've done to me pales in comparison to the hell that he's put me through. In the end, he'll regret ever forcing me to go through the conditioning and imperative. He'll die wishing he'd never met me."

There was a sudden beeping sound and Trinity glanced with interest at her wrist. She touched an area about an inch or two above her skin and a metallic silver and purple wrist remote appeared seemingly from nowhere. She hit a series of buttons on the remote and a grin of satisfaction appeared on her face.

"The net steadily grows tighter around the prey," she said softly, a look of delight flashing across her face.

"So it begins?" General Tyler asked.

Trinity nodded her head, "Yes, and so it begins."

_Ah, another Chapter that probably adds more questions than answers…or perhaps vice versa? I don't know what's going on in the minds of the readers and Heaven knows I've been gone long enough, but there's been so much going on in my life at the moment that a lot of things needed to be put on hold. You can thank Kara for this update though, her two updates in the past couple of days pretty much demanded that I update as well, can't have her outdoing me after all, lol. Hope you enjoyed this rather confusing and vexing chapter…though maybe in reality it wasn't confusing for you. I don't know, I guess only you do._

_Shout Outs:_

_Firedragon: sorry for the long wait, but there's the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed._

_KY: I'm feeling lazy and don't feel like spelling your name out completely, forgive me? You can't have my Racing Drone Hybrid, that's an impossibility, it's all mine! Yes, poor Shirako and Vert and things are only going to get worse as the story continues._

_Kara: You updated, so I guess I'll update as well. Though I am currently re-working this and the original story but I figured I would give you something to read while I revamp both of the stories. I'll start to repost the re-edited versions as I get them done. They're going to be improved and hopefully get the story back on the track it was originally intended to follow. I really don't want to see your story come to an end and hopefully you will do a sequel. I tried to leave a review but I got an Review Throttle error message, apparently the site felt I had tried to review to many times when I had only tried to review once._

_Moriko: I value my reviewers' opinions so I figured if this was a lot easier on you I would accommodate whether or not the site liked it. Hope you're still with me on this story, especially since I was gone for such a long time, at least long for me. And odd moods are fun!_

_Chase: Glad to know you're back and hopefully you'll update soon yourself._


End file.
